


Third Time's the Charm

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 20:36:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12465472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: In which Shiro LIES and CHEATS his way to.....giving Keith a bday gift? [Shiro/Keith, fluff, spoilers for the S4 finale. Obligatory Keith birthday fic!]





	Third Time's the Charm

Title: Third Time's the Charm  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: Spoilers for Season 4’s finale. Also, I'm writing this with about 20 min. left before I have to leave for Grad School (TM), so please forgive any glaring typos. I'll come to edit later!

\--

“I need to speak to the Red Paladin immediately.” Shiro’s tone left no room for argument as he strode into the Blade of Marmora’s headquarters. “It’s a matter of life or death.”

“Of course,” Keith felt a pang of shame when Shiro still called him by a title he no longer deserved, but it was clear that he had no time to indulge his guilt. “I can leave now.” He nodded to Kolivan, followed Shiro down the hallways, and into the Black Lion’s cockpit. “Shiro’s what’s going wrong—”

“What’s wrong,” Shiro intoned, “is that I have yet to wish you a happy birthday.”

“What?!” But he was right; it was October 23 according to Earth calendars…wait, this was ridiculous and Keith was mad at him. “You have gotten a lot better at lying since I left,” he grumbled.

Shiro smirked. “You will find, Keith, that without you to keep me morally upright, that I have slipped into a life of wrongdoing. In fact, I reached across the table for the space salt instead of asking someone to pass it to me.”

“Quiznak, Shiro, you know what I mean!” He couldn’t afford to feel bad when Shiro’s face fell. “The whole reason I’m here is to—”

“Stop Lotor,” Shiro finished for him, voice soft. “And you have. He’s currently in a rebel cell. We’ve dealt a devastating blow to the Empire, all because of you. You…” He reached out, pushing Keith’s hood back. “You could come home.”

“I can’t.” He had already failed in his responsibilities as a Paladin. He refused to do the same as a Blade. “You and I both know Lotor’s sudden change is a load of bull. This is the best way to figure out what he’s up to.”

“All right,” Shiro conceded, although Keith had known him long enough to know that he was still going to fight this, just not right now. “But at least let me give you your birthday present.” 

… The last time he’d gotten anything for his birthday was his tenth one, right before his Dad disappeared to find his Mom. He, Matt, and Shiro had planned to go out to a restaurant in town for his eighteenth birthday, but then Matt and Shiro and had been selected for the Kerberos Mission, with a launch date of October 10. And then Zarkon had kidnapped Shiro a second time a month before his nineteenth one. “I. You didn’t have to do that, Shiro.”

“I’ve missed it twice, Keith. I’m not taking any chances, especially not for the big 2-0.” He smiled down at him, so warm and homey that Keith had to look away. “Besides, I wanted to.” He pressed a small, bright red package into Keith’s hand. “Here.”

Keith huffed, and tore open the wrapping paper, and… wow.

“It’s an Altean switchblade. Allura says it’s made of metals that are untraceable by virtually all detectors. Between that and its small size, you’ll always have some method of defense.” Now Shiro was looking away. “I… I can’t keep an eye on you anymore. Not that you ever needed me to fight your battles. But this way, you have some way of keeping yourself—”

Keith kissed him. Softly, in case Shiro needed to pull away, but Shiro instead wrapped an arm around his waist, deepening the kiss. Honestly, this was even more dangerous than the knife—they were still in a war, and there was always the nagging fear in Keith’s heart that Shiro would realize he was no good, and leave him like everyone else.

But right now, Shiro was moaning into Keith’s mouth, so.

When the kiss ended, Shiro sighed happily, forehead resting against Keith’s. Happy birthday, Keith.”

Keith allowed himself a smile. For the first time in years, it actually had been.


End file.
